Hormel Foods’ Retail EVP to Retire, Former Applegate Exec to Return

Aug. 20, 2024
Former Applegate president will return and take the reins of the company’s retail division from Deanna Brady, who will retire at the end of October.

Hormel Foods Corp. has announced the retirement of Deanna Brady, executive vice president, Retail, effective the end of fiscal 2024, on October 27. Additionally, Hormel announced that John Ghingo will return to Hormel Foods on Sept. 2 and assume leadership of the retail business on Oct. 28, 2024. Ghingo served as president of Applegate Farms LLC from 2018 through 2022. Hormel acquired Applegate in 2015.

Brady worked for Hormel Foods for nearly three decades across both the foodservice and retail lines, and the company credited her as a key architect of the company’s results-driven, high-performing culture.

She began her Hormel Foods career in September 1996 as a foodservice territory manager in Wilkes-Barre, Pa., and worked through the ranks on the foodservice, refrigerated and retail businesses over the course of her time, leading to her earning her current role in 2022.

Ghingo has extensive experience in the CPG industry and a proven track record of driving brand growth, Hormel Foods noted in the announcement. After serving as president of Applegate until 2022, he served as CEO of a better-for-you snack company owned by private equity firm Kainos Capital. Prior to his tenure at Applegate, he held executive and leadership roles with The WhiteWave Foods Co. and Mondelēz International.

About the Author

Andy Hanacek | Senior Editor

Andy Hanacek has covered meat, poultry, bakery and snack foods as a B2B editor for nearly 20 years, and has toured hundreds of processing plants and food companies, sharing stories of innovation and technological advancement throughout the food supply chain. In 2018, he won a Folio:Eddie Award for his unique "From the Editor's Desk" video blogs, and he has brought home additional awards from Folio and ASBPE over the years. In addition, Hanacek led the Meat Industry Hall of Fame for several years and was vice president of communications for We R Food Safety, a food safety software and consulting company.

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